SXSW 2024: Where Celebrities Ate in Austin Restaurants

A Culinary Journey

If the cultural happenings of Austin are a reflection of the city’s vibrant spirit, the food scenes are surely the heartbeat. This year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) festival showcased not just the film and music, but also the city’s culinary uniqueness. And guess who were tasting the Austin flavors amidst the hubbub of the SXSW? Yes, the Celebrities!

Feasting Royalties and Stars

Among the numerous celebrities that graced the SXSW festival this year, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had a notable presence. The royal duo decided to delight their taste buds with some smoked meats at the renowned Austin restaurant La Barbecue. Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was not just a foodie visitor, she also enlightened the audience as a keynote speaker at a SXSW panel.

The charm of Austin food also pulled in celebrities like Rachel Zeigler and Fred Durst, who fancied a visit to local favorite, Dirty Bill’s. The duo made some memories by clicking pictures, which Zeigler aptly captioned with a Beyonce Texas lyric and shared on Instagram.

Celebrity Chefs on a Food Tour

Giada DeLaurentiis, the celebrity chef, television host, and cookbook author, took her chance to explore the eateries of Austin. She treated herself to both the downtown Italian cuisine at Sammie’s and the wines of East Austin’s charming Birdie’s. Add to that; she took part in a SXSW panel discussing her new website Giadzy.

Chicago-based celebrity chef Rick Bayless, too, was seen savoring Austin flavors. He was spotted enjoying a meal at Austin’s Mexican spot – Nixta Taqueria. It made perfect sense as the Nixta’s chef Edgar Rico and Bayless were the star chefs at Willie Nelson’s festival’s dinner event – The Potluck, during the festival week.

A Cocktail of Celebrities

Jake Gyllenhaal, known for his fondness for Austin’s acclaimed Japanese restaurant Uchi, made a predictable visit to Uchiko during his tour in town for SXSW’s world premiere of the remake of Road House.

SXSW film High Tide’s lead star Maria Tomei and musician/producer/DJ Questlove were another celebrity combo adding glam to the Austin eateries during the festival. They were seen enjoying Egyptian Texas barbecue from KG BBQ and pizza from Oddwood Brewing, thanks to Austin restaurateur CK Chin’s Toshokan and Wu Chow.

Celebrity Footprints in Austin Eateries

The SXSW 2024 painted the town with a star-studded palette of celebrities, sampling the diverse culinary delights Austin has to offer. From avant-garde cafes to traditional Texan BBQs, the festival musicians, film stars, chefs, and even royalties left memorable footprints in the bustling eateries of Austin.